Occupational Hazards
by DarthBubbles
Summary: Hiccup insists he have a look at Astrid's wounded leg after she's been shot by Viggo's men, despite her assertions that she's "fine." Hiccstrid. Minor spoilers for RTTE Season 3. Rated 'T' for allusions to some 'adult' situations.


"Hiccup, I'm fine, really."

Astrid shook blonde bangs from her eyes with a toss of her head as the son of the chief motioned toward the edge of his bed in a silent instruction for her to sit. She crossed her arms and stared down the young man with narrowed sapphire eyes. "I've had much worse. You know that."

Hiccup's emerald eyes stared right back, and for a moment Astrid missed the timid boy she'd known five years ago, wondering when he'd been replaced by the steadfast young man that stood his ground before her now. "Just let me see it, Astrid."

For a moment they just stood there, narrowed eyes and crossed arms a mirror image of each other – two headstrong Vikings unwilling to back down. And then the blonde's proud shoulders slumped as she lowered herself down onto the bed. She caught a glimpse of Hiccup's expression softening before he turned around and rummaged through a chest of medical equipment he kept on hand in his hut. When he spun back around, he'd procured some ointment and bandages, and he kneeled in front of her while splaying the materials across the bedsheets next to her.

"I'm gonna have to cut through to get to it," he mumbled as his fingertips gently brushed across the blood-soaked gash in her leggings.

She rolled her eyes and gently moved her leg away from his touch. "Hiccup, you've taken my pants off _yourself_ plenty of times, you are _not_ cutting up a pair of leggings because you've decided to be shy today."

Astrid had to hold back a chuckle as Hiccup's face flushed beet-red, and he downcast his eyes while mumbling something about "different circumstances."

"Of course, you _could_ just decide to drop the whole nurse façade and trust me when I say I'm fine." She rose her eyebrows persuasively.

"Oh, no you don't," Hiccup's attention snapped upwards again, and he wagged a finger at her dramatically. She sighed and stopped the motion of his index with her own, pressing fingertip to fingertip before threading his digits with her own and tenderly gripping his hand.

"You know," she said gently, "I'm going to get shot at sometimes. And sometimes, I'm going to get hit."

"Not if I stop this war with Viggo first," he grumbled, glancing away. His gaze seemed far-off and angry, and Astrid gripped his chin firmly to bring his attention back to her and away from his rival.

"We're Vikings," she said, drilling him with blue eyes sparkling with reminiscence. "It's an occupational hazard."

"That's not a hazard I'm willing to take," he said, reaching up and placing a hand against her own resting on his cheek. "Not with you."

"Is that why you're agreeing to this absurd meeting of his?" She couldn't keep the concern from her tone.

"I'm agreeing to it because we don't have much of a choice, Astrid."

She sighed resignedly. "Well, then patch this damn leg up, because you know I won't let you go alone."

He smiled and shook his head, conversation shaking the nerves away as he reached up underneath her armored skirt to wrap his fingers around the band of her leggings and gently pull the garment down to her knees so that he could better access the wound on her thigh. "No talking you out of that one, huh?" he asked, talking to her to calm himself as he found himself in the middle of an action he'd reserved only for their most intimate of moments. At this point, as Astrid had pointed out, he should have been used to it, but every time he glanced up and saw the beauty of his Valkyrie, he was in awe and to be frank, felt very, _very_ undeserving of such intimacy.

"Not a chance," she scoffed in reply. "We're an _us_ , Hiccup. You, and me. No way I'm letting Viggo forget that."

"Now that might have been the most romantic thing you've ever said to me, milady," he smirked up at her.

"Not to mention you're useless with a sword and practically need my backup should you and Toothless be separated," she added haughtily, crossing her arms.

"Aaaaand romantic moment has passed," he said flatly, before his eyes locked onto the wound and his brows furrowed. "Oh, Thor, Astrid…" he whispered gently, grazing his fingertips along her outer thigh and causing an involuntary shudder throughout her body. "That arrow didn't just _graze_ you."

She hissed in pain as his fingers passed over the injured area and she tried to smile weakly. "Did I say _graze_?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"You said _graze_ ," he deadpanned, getting to work on spreading a thick layer of the healing ointment across the wound. Astrid gripped his shoulder as he worked, fingers digging into the flesh behind his shoulder blade tightly when his gentle fingertips brushed over the more sensitive areas of her injury.

"I'm so worried that one day you're gonna get hit and it's not going to be something we can just bandage up and move on from," he said softly, displaying a vulnerable side of Hiccup that she only really ever saw when they were alone.

"And you think I don't worry – _ah_!" She cut herself off as a sharp pain shot throughout her leg in response to how tightly Hiccup had wound the first pass of the bandage.

"Sorry!" he muttered quickly, giving the material some slack before continuing his careful work.

"Hiccup, do I have to count the number of times you've had me terrified for your life?" she asked. "I don't even think I _could_ keep count; it's happened so often. But I've come to accept that it's just a part of loving you that I'll have to deal with."

Hiccup slipped Astrid's leggings back up over the freshly-bandaged injury and rose to sit next to her on the bed, taking her hand in his. "I know," he said quietly. "I just can't bear to drag you down with me."

She sighed, rolling her eyes as she threaded her fingers through soft auburn hair. "Gods, Hiccup, when are you going to get it through your head that I'd follow you to Valhalla itself?"

He kissed her gently, smiling against soft lips. "I'm hoping it doesn't come to that."

She shrugged. "It won't."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I can't imagine a world without _us_ in it. Together."


End file.
